Delray adopts 2014 budget

Commissioners focused on changes to downtown development after approving 2014 budget

September 18, 2013|By Marisa Gottesman, Sun Sentinel

Delray was on deadline at Tuesday's City Commission meeting to pass a final budget and millage rate.

At the last meeting, they were left with two proposals on the table, one by City Manager Louie Chapman Jr. and one by Commissioner Shelly Petrolia. Before taking any action, commissioners wanted to see a side-by-side comparison.

This week, they were presented with one proposal, a 7.5064 millage rate, which was unanimously passed. This means for every $100,000 of assessed property value, residents will pay about $750 in taxes.

Commissioners challenged Chapman to keep the operating millage the same as the current 7.19 rate.

He did better.

Chapman shaved off a few more dollars to present a 7.1611 operating millage rate.

While the numbers weren't as low as Petrolia's 7.12 proposal, she said she was satisfied because the rate was lower than expected.

In her version, she did the calculations correctly, but $4 million was missing from the set of figures provided by the city, which ultimately made her rate unattainable.

"I was working with an unbalanced budget," she said.

Commissioner Adam Frankel, who originally proposed keeping the same operating millage rate, was pleased.

But, this time it wasn't by the commissioners, it was by dozens of city employees.

They lined up in front of the microphone to speak, and their message to commissioners was the same. They wanted a fair raise.

While the new budget gives all city employees a raise, the amount allotted for union workers is still undecided.

After a few negotiation meetings, the employees and the city are at an impasse.

The union workers have not seen an increase in pay since 2009 because they agreed to take a pay freeze to avoid layoffs.

"Some of us were already struggling in 2009 to make ends meet," said Anthony Guy, who has worked for the city for 10 years."It is even harder now."

Commissioner Al Jacquet sympathized with the employees.

"I am from a family of blue collar folks," Jacquet said. "I understand how tight it gets. We hear you loud and clear."

While there was no change in pay for the workers at this meeting, there were changes made involving other parts of the city, and they will keep City Attorney Brian Shutt busy.

The Commission gave him the green light to make some changes to the laws.

They decided to adopt a rule that prevents commissioners from sitting on advisory boards for one year after leaving office.

They also approved changing the regulations on Pineapple Grove Way, which will prevent offices from filling up the ground floor of the first two blocks. This allows the vision of continuing Atlantic Avenue into the arts district at night possible, because it will promote opening late night businesses in the area.

The Commission also took some initial steps toward changing the type of development that will come to Delray's downtown.

While the Commission decides what direction to take new project proposals for the Central Business District — a process that could take more than a year — they will consider putting a halt to any requests by builders for more height and density.